


Snakelet

by Hanna02



Series: Harry Potter and the perks of being a Slytherin [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Eventual Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Good Slytherins, M/M, Mentor Severus Snape, Slytherin Harry Potter, snape snape severus snape - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:08:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28674966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hanna02/pseuds/Hanna02
Summary: Harry Potter was never an average boy, and being dragged into the wizarding world by a friendly giant just proves the statement. Not only he has to figure out his new lifestyle, but on top of that he gets sorted into Slytherin. This makes people wonder - is he truly a hero, or is he something far worse than the Dark Lord?Slytherin Harry version of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.Crossposted on Wattpad under the name of hannaaaa24
Relationships: Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Hermione Granger & Harry Potter & Ron Weasley
Series: Harry Potter and the perks of being a Slytherin [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2103438
Comments: 14
Kudos: 51





	1. Teaser

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small part of my Slytherin Harry story. First chapter will soon be uploaded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! This is my first story in 4 years, hope you will like it! English is not my first language, so sorry in advance for any mistake, and feel free to point them out. I appreciate constructive criticism, please don't leave mean comments. The beginning of the story won't be the most excitig - but trust me, things will escalate with time.

"Harry - yer a wizard." said Hagrid.

For any normal person, this statement would have sounded crazy. It would have made them stare in disbelief at the giant, who not too long ago literally bursted into his life. Any normal person would come to the conclusion, that this man is insane, speaking gibberish and threatening his family. But Harry wasn't normal, and even though he knew that it's dangerous to not only believe, but willingly go with the man, he still did that.

So that's how he ended up at Diagon Alley, in Madam Malkin's Robes shop, standing on a stool next to a pale, blond boy.

"Hello," said the boy, "Hogwarts, too?"

"Yes," replied Harry, which caused the other rambling about wands, brooms, and everything he desired. The way he spoke strongly reminded him of Dudley and an uncomfortable feeling started to bloom inside him.

The boy went on about some sport called Quidditch, but it only made Harry more nervous. He knew nothing about these things, he just found out about his abilities and a whole new world. He knew he won't know everything instantly, but still couldn't stop worrying about it. He was always seen as an odd kid, an outcast, someone who is different, and people treated him that way. Then Hagrid introduced him to this new society, where people are similar to him, and treat him the exact opposite than before, but it still didn't feel like home. He still didn't fit in. What if he will never fit in?

"Know what House you'll be in yet?" asked the boy, interrupting Harry's train of thought.

"No" he replied, feeling more and more stupid as the conversation went on.

"I'm sure I'll be in Slytherin, all my family have been, and if I get placed in any other, I would leave instantly. Of course, it won't happen, but still..." he continued, "Woah! Look at that giant!" he cried while pointing at Hagrid, who stood just outside the shop with two ice creams in his hand.

"That's Hagrid, he works at Hogwarts."

"Oh, my father has mentioned him. He's sort of a servant. My father says he's a wild man, living in a hut on the school grounds, getting drunk from time to time and setting fire to his bed as he tries and fails to do magic." he said with evident disgust on his face, which had Harry's blood boil.

"Well, I thank he's brilliant and kind." he snapped.

"Oh is he with you?" he frowned, "Where are your parents?"

"They are dead." was the short answer.

"Oh, sorry," he said, but he sounded like he couldn't care less. "But they were are kind, right?"

"They weren't muggles if that's what you're asking."

"Good. I think only people with magical families should be allowed to join the school and the wizarding society. The others, they are worthless." he stated coldly. " Anyways, my name is Draco. Draco Malfoy. What's yours?"

"Harry," he said quietly, but before he could finish, Madam Malkin finished his robes, giving him a chance to escape the conversation.

He quickly left the shop, but he still looked back over his shoulder, and looked into those grey, calculating eyes.

Harry still didn't know many things. But he knew one thing for sure: Draco Malfoy is going to be a problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading my story! If you want, leave a comment with your opinion and ideas about the story. In the beginning the story will more or less be similar to the books, and then gradually turn into my own take on the Potterverse. I can't promise a regular updating schedule, but I try to post at least once a week. If you like the story so far, please leave some kudos :)


	2. Welcome to Hogwarts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry finds out about the Houses, encounters a few characters on the train, then gets sorted into a House.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A full chapter! This will remain similar to the book, canon divergence appears after this, so bear with me until then.

"What's up?" asked Hagrid, "You look like a kicked puppy," he frowned. "and no puppy should be kicked."

"Erm... it's nothing serious. It's just..." he sighed. "It's just that... Could you tell me what's Slytherin and the other Houses?"

"Blimey, Harry, I keep forgettin' how little yeh know!"

"I know." he whispered, "I just met this boy who talked about some kind of Quidditch and Houses and said that muggle families are beneath wizards..."

"Eh, that's bollocks! Muggleborns are just as good as anyone else! And to answer yer question, Slytherin is a House in Hogwarts. There is Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Lot says Hufflepuff are weak, but I -"

"I will probably end up there," said Harry gloomily.

"Still better than Slytherin," Hagrid had a dark look in his eyes.

"Why is it bad?"

"Every bad and dark witch and wizard once was in Slytherin. That's the House of the evil, the House of You-Know-Who."

Harry just stared dumbfounded. There is a House for evil wizards? If they all turn out to be full of malice, then why would anyone allow it's existence? Are the Houses being taught differently? Do they teach them specifically vile and dark magic?

"But don't worry," continued Hagrid, "I'm sure you end up in the best House possible."

*******

Harry was sitting on the Hogwarts Express, chatting away with his new acquaintance, when a smiling woman slid back their door and asked if they want to buy any snacks. He noticed the longing gaze Ron shot towards the cart, and he quickly understood what it meant. From their earlier conversation, he found out that the boy's family wasn't exactly rich, meaning he couldn't afford any sweets. Since Harry himself just recently came into his inheritance, he knew exactly how the ginger felt, and he wanted to change that.

He enjoyed the other boy's company, and the way they were able to maintain a light conversation, even if sometimes he stares a little too long at him, and visibly holds himself back from asking certain questions. But he doesn't blame Ron, since who wouldn't be curious about his situation?

It was the first time for him, that he felt like he would be able to make friends, and his doubts and the unpleasant twist in his stomach slowly started to dissolve. The ginger boy and his family have been extremely kind and helpful to him, even before they knew who he was, and he wanted to repay that kindness. He hoped he could also make Ron feel better about himself, the same way he unintentionally made Harry more welcomed in their world.

He ended up buying some of everything, returning to his seat where Ron stared at him with a shocked expression. He visibly swallowed, then blushed and started to unwrap his sandwiches.

"Here," Harry held up a pumpkin pastry, "have one. You can take anything you want ."

"Er... I appreciate but it's your food." Ron mumbled quietly, while he stared at his lap.

"But I would like to share it with you," reasoned Harry, " I bought this much to try it out with you." he finished nervously. He knew how bad it was when you couldn't get even the smallest things you desired, while others were able to enjoy life to the fullest - Harry experienced it firsthand. Others also never offered him anything, so he didn't know if the other boy felt offended by him, maybe now he views Harry differently...

"Thanks," said Ron while he grabbed a pastry, making Harry leave behind his troubling thought. " you should definitely try out the chocolate frogs and check out the card inside."

So that's what he did. He started munching on some chocolate while he looked at the card which showed an older man's face, and underneath it was the name Albus Dumbledore. He was reading the card's description when a teary-eyed boy and a bushy-haired girl slid open their compartment door.

"Has anyone seen a toad?" asked the girl, "Neville lost him," she said with a stern tone.

"No," they replied in unison.

"Well, if you end up seeing it, please contact us." she continued, "My name is Hermione Granger by the way."

"I'm Ron Weasley."

"My name is Harry Potter," he said, which made the girl look at his forehead.

"I've read a lot about you, you know I bought extra books for background reading, and you're in many of them, like the Modern Magical History...." she continued with her speech, unconsciously making the atmosphere tense. ..." anyway, you two had better change, I expect we'll be there soon." And with that, she grabbed the shy boys arm, whose tears stopped the moment he heard Harry's name and could do nothing else than stare at him, and they left together.

"Whatever House I'm in I hope she won't be in it." huffed Ron.

"What House are your brothers in?"

"Gryffindor, everyone in my family belonged there so far. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff would be fine too I guess, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin." he visibly cringed.

"Is Slytherin that bad?" Harry asked nervously.

"Yes. Every dark wizard was once a Slytherin, just like You-Know-Who. But someone like you will be surely placed in Gryffindor!"

So far it seemed only the blond boy, what was his name? Oh yes, the blond boy Draco seemed so far to be the only one who didn't despise said House, moreover he wanted to be placed in it.

And just as how he was thinking about him, said boy entered their compartment with two other boys. He was looking at Harry, interest evident in his eyes. His companion consisted of two buff lads, standing like his bodyguards.

"Is it true?"

"What is true?" Harry asked back confused.

The blond narrowed his eyes at him, then continued with an impatient tone. "They say Harry Potter is in this compartment. Well, are you him?" He had an expectant look on his face, demanding Harry to answer instantly.

"Yes." was the short answer. Draco tilted his head and looked over him from head to toe - like a predator sizing up his prey. One of his companions moved, causing Harry's eyes to shift to them.

"Oh, this is Crabbe," Draco pointed to his left, " and this one is Goyle. And I'm Draco Malfoy, but you already know that." he finished with a smirk.

Ron started coughing, suspiciously sounding like he wanted to cover his laugh with it. Draco's gaze snapped toward him.

"Think something funny, eh? Your red hair, freckles, and cheap clothes tell me you're a Weasley - the family that has more children than they can afford." he turned back to Harry, "You'll soon find out, that some wizarding families, including mine, are just better than others. Someone like you would surely prefer an elite social circle. I can help you build that." He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but he didn't take it. He met the blond a total of two times, and both ended up with him insulting someone Harry liked. The boy was arrogant, mean, and probably used to getting anything he desired - he resembled Dudley way too much for Harry's liking.

"Yeah, no. I can decide for myself who is worth my time, and so far _you_ didn't make the cut." he replied coldly.

Draco stared at him dumbfounded, clearly surprised that somebody rejected him and his stupid handshake. His eyes were wide, and a pink tinge appeared on his pale cheeks. Some moments passed until Ron's quiet laugh brought him back to reality, and he clenched his fists at his sides.

"Oh yeah? Well here is a friendly tip until you deem me _worthy_ \- if you keep up with the attitude you'll end up just like your parents. But don't worry, I'll make sure you catch on soon enough. And since I'm so _nice_ ," he sighed dramatically, "I will let your moment of foolishness pass this once." he said like he just did something extremely generous, he turned on his heel then strode out with his companionship.

"Bit dramatic, is he?" murmured Harry, trying to lighten the mood up a bit.

"I've heard of his family. They were one of the biggest supporters of You-Know-Who, but the moment he disappeared they claimed they had been bewitched. But everyone knows they still support the Dark Side and its weird ideals. You wanna know what's Slytherin like? The Malfoys are the epitome of that House."

At first, Harry thought Ron and Hagrid just overreacted, that they were biased by their own beliefs, but the more he heard about Slytherin, the less chance he saw at being any good in there. But surely, he won't be placed there, since he wasn't an arrogant, vile person, and only the evil goes there. _Right?_

*******

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said a stern-looking witch. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before that, you will be sorted into your Houses. It's an important ceremony because while you are here, your House will become your family. The four Houses are Gryffindor, the House of the brave, bold and chivalrous, Hufflepuff, the loyal, patient and hard-working, Ravenclaw, the intelligent, wise and witty, and Slytherin, the cunning, ambitious and proud."

She then went on with all the details, how are they going to live, the point system, and the House Cup. During this, Harry became more and more anxious. Where will he be sorted into? Hufflepuff sounds nice, but Harry isn't really patient or hard-working. He had pretty good grades in his muggle school, but is he clever enough for Ravenclaw? Gryffindor seems to be the best, and he doesn't think of himself as a coward, but would he fit in there? And Slytherin, cunning, ambitious, and proud? He tricked his cousin a few times, but would that count as being cunning? He also doesn't really have any ambitions other than move out from the Dursleys as soon as possible and make ends meet. And he's not a prideful person, since there isn't much for him to be proud of. Sure, people say he defeated some Dark Lord as an infant, but it's not like he remembers it or intentionally did it.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in front of the whole school. I shall return when we are ready for you. Until then, please wait quietly."

In front of the whole school!? Harry didn't know what to expect. He had no idea how will the sorting take place, he just hoped it's not some kind of test. He doesn't know any magic, and the last thing he wants to be is humiliated in front of everyone. To his relief, he wasn't the only one who looked terrified, nervous faces surrounding him.

"The ceremony is about to start," returned the witch, "now form a line, and follow me."

They entered the Great Hall, and to avoid the stares of the older students - he had enough ogling since he arrived at the wizarding world - he chose to look at his shoes.

The witch placed a stool and a dirty looking, patched hat on it in front of them. Then, to his surprise, the hat started singing. It sang about the school and Houses, emphasizing each of their traits.

The witch started calling out names, then placed the hat in each of their heads.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" it shouted.

"RAVENCLAW!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

After each shout, applause filled the hall, until a girl named Millicent Bulstrode got placed in Slytherin.

The Slytherin table and some people from other Houses also clapped and cheered for her, but he couldn't miss the way none of the Gryffindors celebrated the placement. Two redheads, who he recognised as Ron's twin brothers, started booing at her until the older witch turned towards them with a strict look.

Not long after that, Malfoy sat down on the stool, and the hat barely touched his head when it shouted, "SLYTHERIN!" and he joined his table with a smug, pleased look.

There were only a few people left, and then, at last -

"Potter, Harry!" the witch called him.

The hall seemed like time completely stopped, until quick, hushed whispers broke out everywhere.

"Potter?"

"The Potter?"

The last thing he saw before the hat dropped over his eyes were curious gazes.

"Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult, aren't we? Plenty of courage, and not a bad mind either. You clearly have a talent, and oh, "it stopped for a second, " you would like to prove your worth and potential, wouldn't you? You aren't overconfident, but you know that you are better than how you've been treated so far. Interesting... where shall I place you?"

Harry gripped the stool, chanting _Not Slytherin, not Slytherin_ in his mind.

"Not Slytherin? Why not?"

_They are evil_ , he thought.

"Well don't you want to be appreciated? For your current abilities and achievement even if they happened in the muggle world?"

" _Well, erm... People thank me for defeating Voldemort, but I feel like I've hardly done anything with it. It would be nice if they didn't only think of me as some kind of savior..."_

"You know Slytherin could help you on your way of developing your own greatness..." the hat murmured.

_But they are..._

"Evil?" huffed the hat. "They tend to be little tricksters, yes, and plenty of them have choosen a dark path... but being a Slytherin is not equal with being bad. They are so much more than that. Joining the House doesn't mean you are going to be mean, and cruel. Would you let them influence you badly?" he asked.

_"No! I would never let them turn me evil or make me do something against my will!_ he thought quickly.

"Fascinating... Tell me little one, what is it you truly desire?"

_What does Harry desire? Well, he wants to be happy, he wants to fit in, have friends. He wants to stay in this world and never go back to the Dursleys. He wants to be known as just some boy, who had fairly good grades and a witty personality..._

"Hmm..." hummed the hat, "You surely have the heart of a Gryffindor..." Harry's eyes lit up with hope. "but the House that will teach you what you need, and where you fully could explore your potential is..." Harry closed his eyes and held back his breath.

**"SLYTHERIN!"**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well Hello everyone!  
> We've reached the end of chapter 1. I hope you liked it. This chapter is a lot like the book, and I obviously skipped many scenes (like the wand shop) assuming you've read the books or saw the movies. I wanted the main focus to be on have "bad" Slytherin is, and show his initial reaction to Draco, the "epitome of Slytherin". I also wanted to include him appreciating Ron and his family, even if they have barely met. From now on, canon divergence will take place, since Harry got sorted into Slytherin.
> 
> If you found any grammatical mistakes, please kindly point them out, and give me some feedback on the story, I appreciate constructive criticism since I'm fairly new to this. Also, please leave kudos, if you want to.


	3. Little, cute, fierce baby snakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry joins his House, they have a feast, then enter the dungeons.

The Great Hall was stunned in silence.

Harry felt like he couldn't breathe, his body went rigid, and he didn't dare to open his eyes. He knew, if he does that, he will be sure that it isn't a dream, and he wasn't ready to face off reality.

 _"Every bad and dark witch and wizard once was in Slytherin."_ Hagrid's words rang in his ear.

But the hat said, Slytherin is not equal with evil, right? And the witch also described it as ambitious and proud, not only as cunning.

" _The Malfoys are the epitome of Slytherin,_ " he remembered Ron's comment on the House.

Will this mean Ron won't be nice to him anymore? He clearly hated the idea of being placed there, and his brothers also booed at freshly sorted kids who joined the House. He hoped this won't be the case, he enjoyed the Weasley's so far and would like to get to know them better.

Another thought bothered his mind. Does this mean he's somewhat like Malfoy? That he's similar to Dudley, who is a muggle but would be surely sorted into the House? He couldn't believe that,didn't want to. He never hurt others intentionally, and he didn't view himself as an arrogant prick, who constantly held their nose up like they are some upper life form.

Maybe the hat was wrong? It's most likely super old, it definitely looks like that, so there is a possibility it doesn't work flawlessly anymore.

And what does your _heart is a Gryffindor's, but the place where you could explore your potential is_ _Slytherin_ _mean_ _?_ If his heart is brave or whatever, shouldn't he go there then? And why can he only explore his potential in the latter?

Loud cheering interrupted his thought.

"We got Potter! We got Potter!" People yelled, and he knew it was from _his_ House.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his mind and failing at it, then slowly started to take off the hat. He opened his eyes and met the witch's gaze, but he couldn't read anything into it. He stood up and shakily started to walk towards his table, where people were still clapping and cheering for him.

He didn't dare to look at any of the other Houses.

When he finally arrived at the table, a few people shook his hands, congratulated and patted him on the back.

" _Maybe they won't be so bad_ ," he thought, " _maybe they are actually nice_."

Then he sat down at the end of the table, right across Malfoy's smug face.

_Or maybe not._

"Got to your senses, eh?" he started with a grin, "realised on your way where the best people are?"

Harry frowned at him. "Well if I sit at the table consisting only of the best, then I don't know what are you doing here." he said.

Laughter erupted around him, and he quickly realised every Slytherin around him heard his comment.

"Moody, are we?" grinned the blond boy. "You know, after the train I thought you are going to be just some stuck-up, arrogant little _hero_ , but you seem to be a lot more interesting than that."

_Arrogant!? Harry being arrogant? Has Malfoy ever seen and heard himself?_

"Now, now!" interrupted a brunette girl, "Hush little one! You don't want to cause any trouble on the first day, do you?" she scolded them. "There is a lot for you to learn, but until then, sit down, have a feast, and try not to murder each other."

_Easier said than done._

"Ceasefire?" asked the blond.

Harry tentatively looked at him, looking for a sign of an ulterior motive, but he couldn't see anything other than the boy's calm expression.

"Fine," he agreed, "as long as you save me from your comments, I will be polite with you."

"Bargaining already?" the git had the nerve to smirk at him, but before Harry could react, he put his hands up as a sign of surrendering. "Alright, alright! Just kidding with you. I won't comment on your friend, "he pointed towards the high table at the end of the hall, "and we call a truce." he finished, but Harry's attention wasn't focused on him anymore.

At the nearest end of the table, sat Hagrid, who looked at him with comically wide eyes, and Harry wasn't even sure if the man was breathing.

" _You disappointed him_." said a little voice in his head. " _You know how he hates your House, and now he won't talk to you anymore."_

Harry started to panic. He didn't want to lose the man, who introduced him to this world, who so far regarded him with unbelievable kindness, fed him, and bought him Hedwig.

But then, Hagrid formed a little smile on his lips and held one of his thumbs up.

It calmed him somewhat, but Harry wasn't an idiot. He knew Hagrid won't look at him the same anymore, and he could only hope that he will stay in his life.

His eye shifted to the man at the center of the table - Albus Dumbledore. He sat in a large gold chair, his silver hair shining. Harry also spotted Professor Quirrell, the nervous man from the Leaky Cauldron.

Then Dumbledore stood up, beaming at the students, his arms opened wide like it's the best thing in the world to have a school full of students.

"Welcome everyone! Welcome to our new year at Hogwarts! I would like to say a few words to you all: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you" he finished and sat back down.

A round of applause broke out again, and Harry didn't know whether to laugh or not.

"Is he..." he wasn't sure how to put it nicely, "Is he perhaps short of a marble?" he asked uncertainly.

"Dumbledore?" laughed the brunette girl. "Well he is surely a unique mind, but I like to say he's a chaotic genius. Want some potatoes?"

Harry sat flabbergasted. Dishes appeared in front of him, and he has never seen so much food in one place. He could see roast beef, chicken, lamb, bacon, fries, roast potatoes, vegetables, condiments, and sauces...

His mouth started to water, so he quickly started to grab himself some from everything.

The Dursleys had never exactly starved Harry, but he certainly was underfed and malnourished. And living under the stairs in a dark hole most likely didn't help his case.

One of the ghosts passed Harry and stopped next to Malfoy, who didn't look pleased by the new company.

It was the scariest one he could see in the whole hall - his body was pearly white, but his eyes were black, his robes were bloodstained and he was covered in chains.

"I'm the Bloody Baron," he started in a hoarse whisper, "I'm the ghost of Slytherin. Welcome, first years. I wish you bring the House nothing else than good points and reputation." then he floated away.

Harry's eyes met Malfoy's who looked just as alarmed as he did.

"How did he get bloody?" asked a boy with deeply tanned skin.

"No one knows," was the reply from an older student. "He's a little weird but he has the spirit, as you could see." he snickered.

They continued on the feast, and as Harry began to feel better as he heard the friendly bickering and light conversations around him - he finally dared to look at the other tables.

He first spotted the Ravenclaw table, where a few individuals glanced in his direction, but they didn't do anything else. They rather seemed to have their own discussions, that most likely didn't include him - and he was happy with that.

At the Hufflepuffs' more people seemed to look at him, and it made him feel a little bit uneasy. But then, he looked into the eyes of one of the first years, and when the girl smiled at him, he instantly returned it.

Then, at last, came Gryffindor, where nothing could have prepared Harry. Nearly the whole House was straight up staring at him, including Hermine, Neville, and the Weasleys. He glanced at Ron, who seemed to have a worried expression on his face. This is it, isn't it? Ron most likely wouldn't want to be friends with a Slytherin. Harry could only hope, that maybe if he could talk to the boy, then he could prove that he's not evil, that he's still the same - he just got sorted in there for whatever reason.

He formed a little smile and meekly waved at him. Ron didn't react other than his expression turning surprised, then narrowed his eyes at Harry. But then, two redheads appeared next to him - _the twins_ \- and they cheerily waved back. He was sure neither of them fancied his placement, but the little gesture filled his heart with hope.

"I'm a half-and-half," said a girl, who he remembered as Tracey. "My father is a pure-blood, but my mother is muggle-born." This caused many Slytherins to glance over her, and Harry wasn't sure what it meant.

"Muggleborn, eh?" asked Malfoy, and Harry suddenly remembered.

 _"I think only people with magical families should be allowed to join the school and the wizarding society. The others, they are worthless."_ said the blond at the robe shop.

"Yes, but my mother is many of the few, who got sorted into Slytherin as a muggle-born. That's how my parents met," she replied quickly like she tried to justify herself, for no reason.

Why would she how to justify herself? Those are her parents, and it's not like anyone can decide where they are born. They can do magic, and even if they couldn't, she can and that's what matters. Even if she was a simple muggle, Harry wouldn't look down on her, since muggles did countless amazing things. They have their own way of magic, using technology and science.

"Well, I'm obviously a pure-blood," said the blond git with a smug look, like being born from some pure wizard family is something to be proud of. But then Harry saw, that many older students clearly approved of his status, and they didn't size him up as they did with Tracey no, they smiled at him.

"What about you, Potter?" asked a boy with disturbingly crooked teeth.

"Erm... Well, I think I am a half-blood too," he started, which caused many around him to open and close their mouth like they couldn't find any words.

"You think... you think you are a half-blood?" asked a pug-faced girl, who had some weird name like Penny? Paisley? No, something like Pantsy...

"Yes," he replied, thinking later he will have the time to figure out the girl's name. "My father came from a wizard family, but my mother was muggle-born."

"But you... but you defeated _him_!" exclaimed a student, which caused Harry's brows to furrow.

"Yeah, and?" he asked dumbfounded.

The brunette girl that scolded him before now broke out in laughter.

"Well, I'm honored to meet someone so fascinating like yourself, young Harry." she said, "Let me elaborate my peers and fellow housemates confusion - plenty of us think, or at least our families teach us, that pure-bloods are the most powerful people, including You-Know-Who. So now they are a little confused on how could a not pure-blood defeat him."

"What has my blood or whatever have to do anything with it?" he didn't understand why it was such a big deal. Some people had magic, some didn't case closed. Who cares? "And it's not like I did much, I don't really remember anything."

"You don't!?"

"Erm... the only thing I can kinda recall is green light... but that's all."

"So," started Malfoy, "where did you live?"

"With my aunt, uncle, and cousin," he replied briefly, trying to avoid the topic.

"And are they part of the wizarding world?" Malfoy's attention was undoubtedly focused on him, as his life depended on the answer.

"No, my aunt is my mother's sister... and they are definitely not part of this world," he stated.

"After you... after you became a hero, they sent you to muggles?!" the blond was severely confused, because if Harry Potter is so amazing, why did he have to be sent to those inferior creatures?

"I mean, they are my only family left." Harry blinked.

"What was it like living with them?" asked the tan boy.

"Hm... we didn't exactly get along," he murmured, "I didn't even know I was a wizard until my birthday." he said.

Someone knocked over their cup, and the people surrounding him froze. Harry started to really, really hate getting all this attention.

"How the hell you didn't know!?" asked the brunette.

"Well weird things always happened to me, but I didn't think much of them..."

"Weird things like?"

"Well, this summer my cousin pushed me while we were in the zoo, and I guess I unintentionally made a glass completely disappear, which caused a snake to get free..."

Many students around him started to snicker.

"Well that's something a Slytherin would do," smiled the girl. "Getting revenge on someone who hurt you..."

"But I didn't do it intentionally!" he exclaimed.

"Whether you did or not, it happened. If you don't want to, you don't have to get revenge, but don't let yourself get pushed around."

Harry stayed in his seat in silence and slowly ate his treacle tart.

Is this what the hat meant? Is this what he could learn here? To stand up for himself? He admits, he really needs to grow a spine, and finally be treated as he deserves, but getting revenge? He doesn't want to hurt others, even if they hurt him first... He knows the feeling of being bullied, and he doesn't want to become someone like Dudley and his gang...

Harry looked up at the High Table again. Hagrid was peacefully drinking from his cup. The witch- Professor McGonagall he learned - was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Quirell, in his purple turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, and sallow skin.

Suddenly, the man looked straight into Harry's eyes - and a sharp, hot pain shot across his scar.

"Ouch!" he hissed.

"What is it?" asked Malfoy.

"No-nothing."

"You are a terrible liar," huffed Malfoy. "but whatever. You will tell if you want to."

"Whose the teacher talking to Quirell?" asked Harry.

"Oh, that"s Snape." replied Malfoy.

"How do you know?" he asked confused. The blond was only a first-year too, so how did he knew the teacher?

"Oh, I just happen to know him," he said in a sweet voice. "but what about him?"

"Just askin'..."

"You're still terrible at lying, but sure. He is also the head of our House, and the Potions teacher."

Harry turned his gaze back to Snape, but the man didn't look at him again.

Dumbledore stood up again.

"Just a few more things to say! The first years must know, that it's forbidden to enter the forest. A few older students also seem to need a reminder of that." his smile flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested should contact Madam Hooch. And lastly, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Harry laughed, but he was one of the few who did.

"Wait, is he for real?" he asked hurriedly.

"Must be," replied the brunette. "It's unusual though. He normally gives us a reason why we are not allowed somewhere. See, the forest is full of beasts, but what's wrong with the third-floor corridor?" she wondered.

"And now, before we got to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore, while the other teacher's smile became fixated. "Everyone pick up their favourite tune, and off we go!"

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts..." sang the majority.

Harry was a little stunned, but he found the activity fun, even if it was a little silly.

"He has to be mad," whispered Malfoy. "There is no other reasonable explanation for this." and his comment, almost, just almost made Harry's lip quirk up at the ends.

When everyone finished with the song, Dumbledore started wiping his eyes, as if tears were in them, and Harry had to agree with the blond's statement.

"And now," spoke up Dumbledore once again," bedtime! Off you trot!"

This caused the brunette girl and a boy with dark blond hair to stand in front of the Slytherin first years.

"Come on, little ones! My name is Gemma Farley and next to me is Seth Mackey. We are your prefects, and we will lead you to the dormitories!"

🐍🐍🐍

They went through the Entrance Hall, and at the right side of it, they entered a door. They descended on a set of stone steps- a lot of steps actually- then arrived in some type of dungeon. They walked a little bit more until they stopped in front of a bare stone wall.

"Now listen to me carefully," said Seth. "You can only enter the dungeon with a password, which you can't let any other House to find out. Currently, the password is Aconite, which is another name for wolfsbane. Got it?"

"Yes." they replied in unison.

"Good. Now let's enter then," he said, turning to the wall and whispering the password, which caused it to slide open.

The Slytherin common room was a big, long underground room with stone walls and ceiling, from which many, expensive-looking chandeliers were hanging. A fire was crackling under a carefully carved mantelpiece, and several students sat around it in neatly made chairs. The furniture mostly consisted of dark woods and green silks.

A part of the dungeon extends under the lake, which you could see through enormous windows that reached from the floor to the ceiling. The lake gave a slight green tinge to the room, but it was beautiful.

Suddenly, a giant squid passed the windows, which caused the first years to gasp.

"Beautiful, isn't it? Many think our House is a dark, slimy place, but in reality, it's the most gorgeous one as I heard. Everything here was handmade, and the quality of the furniture is something the other Houses can only dream of." Gemma sighed, with a dreamy look on her face. "Now pay attention little snakelets!"

"Snakelets?" Goyle asked back with a puzzled look.

"Yes, you are snakelets! Little, cute but fierce baby snakes!" she exclaimed cheerily. "This is how we refer to our first years." but before she could go into more details, Seth interrupted her.

"Now, we need to set a few rules before you enter your dormitories." started Seth, "First, the head of our House is Snape. As Slytherin, you have no reason to be afraid of him, "he smirked. "But it's still better to not play with fire, okay? He is a strict man, and he usually doesn't take points from his own House, but let's not play with our luck."

"Now, what's important is," spoke up Gemma, "that Slytherin's have a reputation, and you have to keep that up. We have to stick together, even if some conflict happens between us, even if that's a rare thing. If you have some problem with each other, you have to handle it in the privacy of the dorms, and not in front of the others." she looked over them with a stern look. "We don't want points taken because of a silly argument, and we have to show how loyal we are to each other. As first years, you also need to note, that the others are often prejudiced against us. They think we are nothing more than liars, but it's not true."

"You'll learn to move around and go to classes in small packs, that have at least 3 students. The reason for it is that in the past, many students attacked us with the only reason being that we are Slytherins." Seth had a dark look on his face, and Harry swallowed nervously.

Others will attack them? Just because where they got sorted? He was sure, that there was something more to it, but he could also imagine it to be true. He heard others talk bad about the House and seen the look on their faces.

"It's only the beginning of the year, and it's usually a peaceful time, but you have to be prepared. Soon enough, you will learn what does being a Slytherin exactly mean. Until then, I wish you the best. If you have any concerns, find me or Seth, or Professor Snape. He will make sure everything will turn out beneficially for us." she finished with a smile. 

🐍🐍🐍

Entering their dormitory, they found six four-posters hung with dark green, velvet curtains. He shared a room with Blaise, Theodore, Vincent, Gregory, and the blond wonder - Draco Malfoy. The beds were king-sized and looked incredibly soft, and Harry was excited to sleep on them.

Their trunks had already been brought up, and too tired to talk much, they pulled out their pajamas and fell into bed.

His was at the end of the room, and to his annoyance next to Malfoy's. Harry draw in his curtains, but before that, his gaze connected with the blond's for the last time for the day.

"Goodnight Potter." he heard.

"Goodnight.." he murmured back.

There was so much to think about, but the bed was so comfortable, that he fell asleep seconds after his head touched the pillow.

_Maybe I will be truly happy here,_ was his last thought. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An update!  
> I still don't have a regular update schedule, right now I post when it feels right.  
> In this chapter, I wanted to emphasize Harry's worries about his relationships with Hagrid and the Weasleys, and show that yes, Slytherins right now are still kinda racist, and can be little shits, but they are also humans, who have fun with their friends etc. And character development will take care of the racial slurs.   
> Harry will still have negative thoughts about his House, but he will soon be a proud Snakelet. I also called a truce between him and Draco, to start to develop their relationship (which won't be fully explored now because they are 11, so chill my dudes) and it's going to be a roller-coaster with Draco's current behaviour.
> 
> If you enjoyed leave some kudos, and write a comment.


	4. Snape Snape Severus Snape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry wants to know whether he can maintain a friendship with Ron or not, meets his head of the House and has tea with Hagrid.

The beginning of the school year went fairly smooth - if you can call constant attention and gossips a smooth start.

Heads turned in his direction, questions and opinions were whispered in his presence and walking in packs like they were told to certainly didn't help his case since his pack so far consisted of a blond narcissist and his bodyguards.

Don't take it the wrong way, Vince and Greg turned out to be quite nice people, who Harry could easily chat with. They were a little slow, but so far the only problem with them was supporting Malfoy's stupidity.

The said boy loved the attention, and Harry didn't know if that was the reason why he basically stalked him everywhere or had another motive which he didn't know of.

So far Harry enjoyed his classes. On Wednesday nights, they studied the sky, learned about constellations and the movements of the planets. Three times a week they went into a greenhouse where they learned Herbology, and even if Harry wasn't particularly interested in plants, he still enjoyed taking part in the lessons. The most boring class was deemed to be History of Magic, which was taught by a ghost, who seemingly didn't develop his technique in the centuries since he worked there.

The charms teacher was a kind little man who happily started introducing himself to the students - his gaze lingering on Harry longer than on others - and the boy found himself liking the class.

Then, they went to Transfiguration, where Professor McGonagall proved herself to be the strictest teacher so far, and Harry has only seen her display a small smile when at the end of the class Blaise managed to be the only one with a successful transfiguration.

The class everyone was looking for the most was Defense Against the Dark Arts, but Quirrell's lessons turned out to be ridiculous. The classroom and the professor smelled of garlic, and they didn't do anything exciting. Whenever Quirell looked at Harry he started to stutter more and become even more nervous than he already was - Harry could only wonder the reason behind it.

Between the classes and getting settled in the new world, Harry barely had time to talk to Ron. So on Friday, he went to breakfast a little bit earlier, leaving his companions behind, in hope to talk to him.

So when he noticed a redhead walking towards the Great Hall, he happily waved at him. This caused Ron and his housemates - Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan- to stop in front of him.

"Erm, yes?" asked Ron, looking uncomfortable.

"Can we talk a bit?" Harry asked with a hopeful look in his eyes.

"Alone?"

"Well, that's what I planned..." mumbled Harry. Was this easy for Ron to view him differently, just because some talking hat didn't place them together?

Ron just stood for a moment, and when Harry was ready to leave the awkward situation, he finally nodded towards his friends, as to say he will join them later.

"So... erm what did you want?"

"I just wanted to talk with you," he started, then took a deep breath, "I just wanted to say that I know you don't like Slytherins, but I hoped we could still be friends."

"You want to be... friends?" surprise evident in his tone.

"Yes. I enjoyed our train ride, and I like talking to you. I also think your family is really nice, your mom helped me and... and I just don't want our friendship to be so short, just because for whatever reason I got placed into Slytherin.." he rambled on.

"Uhm," Ron looked at a loss of words, "Is this some kind of joke?"

"What?" Harry looked at him incredulously.

"I mean, your a Slytherin. You guys are known to trick and deceive others... Your new friends could have set you up for this."

"My new friends?"

"Yes, Malfoy and his two idiots."

"You think I have to gain anything from befriending you, other than the fact I would enjoy it?" Harry asked with a hurt expression. "And I'm only with them, because we're roommates, and the upperclassmen said it's better if we stick together," he explained.

"So where are they now?"

"I left early when they were still just getting up, to be able to talk to you. I'm not an idiot, I know you and Malfoy in the same place would end up in a catastrophe." he huffed.

"You really just want to be friends?"

"Yes!" he cried. "But if you don't want to, just say it, I won't curse you or whatever you think I would do in revenge..."

"Okay, well we could talk or whatever I guess," Harry's eyes lit up as Ron mumbled the last sentence.

"So, have are you getting accustomed?" he asked, trying to create a normal conversation, "I hate the stairs so much, it's like they are never-ending and I always get lost!" groaned Harry.

"You are telling it to me? My dorm is in one of the towers - it's a nightmare climbing up there!"

They chatted for a few more minutes, becoming less and less tense, and Harry was happy to note- he didn't lose Ron.

Then, he saw the approaching figures of three boys, two bulky ones on the side, end on the middle, a posh one with slicked-back hair.

"Well, we better go to breakfast," he looked at Malfoy whose eyes were narrowed, " and then we will meet up sometime again, right?"

"Yeah, we could do that!" agreed Ron casually, which made Harry smile. "I don't know when though... erm we have classes together, we could collate our schedules... Oh, we have double potions together right?"

"Yes. Then I"ll see you there." he said, then flicked his attention to his housemates.

Vince and Greg looked at Ron's retreating figure, while Malfoy stared at Harry.

"You left without us." he hissed.

"Well, obviously," Harry replied. It may not have been the best response, judging by the way Malfoy's expression turned dark.

"Not only did you leave alone, which we were told not to, you also met up with Weasley? Planning this behind our back, sneaking out, while we were just waking up?"

"I mean, yeah." Harry furrowed his brows. What was with Malfoy? It's not like he did anything illegal, he just talked to someone else. And walking together was more like a piece of advice, than an actual rule in his opinion.

The blond's nostrils flared up. "Why did he want to meet up with you?"

"He didn't. I just got up, and came here earlier to look if he's here, so we could talk."

"About what?" Malfoy's voice was demanding.

"Just whatever we talked about. We're kinda friends," he said, and guess what? The wrong answer once more.

"Friends? Why would you be friends with him?"

"Why wouldn't I? We had fun on the train, and his family helped me."

"Helped you, hmm?" The blond tilted his head, his calculating gaze returning, and Harry wasn't sure what conspiracy theories he comes up with, or whether he wants to find out about them.

"My fellow peers," sang a voice, that belonged to Blaise, "your bickering is very entertaining or whatever, but do I have to remind you of what we just learned at the beginning of the week?"

_If you have some problem with each other, you have to handle it in the privacy of the dorms, not in front of the others._

"No," was the reply.

"Then let's finally have breakfast, we don't want to be late from our own professor's class, do we?"

While they were munching on their food, the mail arrived. Harry had gotten used to it by now, and to the fact that he never gets anything.

But the latter statement turned to be false the moment Hedwig placed a note onto his plate.

He cheerily read Hagrid's invitation for afternoon tea, then using Pansy's quill he scribbled a short reply.

🐍🐍🐍

They were in the dungeons, waiting for Potions, and Harry was curious to meet the man, who seemed to dislike him at the opening banquet.

Said man entered the room, his hair still greasy, and immediately started taking attendance. When he got to Harry's name, he looked up - his gaze dark, which made Harry feel uneasy, and he knew, the man didn't dislike him. He straight up loathed him.

He talked about his lesson - acting like everyone's life depended on it - and Harry just couldn't understand what was this man's problem.

"Dunderheads will have to perish in my class," he said which caused many students to gasp, "Quick! Who can tell me what's the difference between aconite and wolfsbane?"

Many Slytherin's hands shot up, but the only Gryffindor student who seemed to know the answer was Hermione.

Harry didn't raise his hand, because what were the possibilities he would get called on amongst all these students?

Apparently, the answer was a high possibility, because the next moment Snape said, "Potter! Tell me the answer!"

"Erm, the difference between them?"

"Yes, the difference between them," Snape said in a mocking tone.

And then it clicked. Aconite was their password - another world for wolfsbane.

"It's the same thing," he replied, and after a moment he said, "Sir."

"Very well. Now, I'm going to put you into pairs, and I don't care about your friends and your wishes, so save me from your complaints."

No one dared to say a word, and the Gryffindors looked annoyed, but a few Slytherins - including Malfoy - just smiled and waited patiently.

And because the universe hated him, he got paired with the blond, who had an expressionless face, but Harry knew better than that. Malfoy was probably still boiling over the incident in the morning, even if it made no sense.

As it turned out, Malfoy was actually surprisingly good in Potions, in fact, Snape told everyone to look at his perfect technique.

Unfortunately, this couldn't be told about Neville's and Dean's potion, which melted the cauldron they used, and burned off their shoes. It also caused painful blisters in Neville's skin, who had to be taken to the hospital wing.

Snape just shook his head and called them idiots before he decided to take 5 points from Gryffindor for their recklessness. Then he gave 5 points to Malfoy, for being such a great student.

As Harry was ready to leave, Snape called his name again.

"We will wait for you outside," said Malfoy, while Harry walked to the front of the class.

"Yes, sir?" he had no idea what would Snape want with him.

"I would lie if I said I wasn't surprised by your placement in Slytherin. But now, whether I like it or not, I'm your head of the House." he paused, looking Harry over once more, then stopping at his eye. "I advise you to don't be a troublemaker because if I catch you doing any funny business, I will punish you so harshly you won't be able to repeat those actions." he hissed. Harry visibly gulped, which seemed to please Snape. "Don't let your fame get to your head, because even with it you are still nothing. Now leave." he turned around like he just didn't threaten and insult Harry, who eagerly left the room.

"What did he want?" asked Malfoy the moment he closed the door behind him.

"I'm not sure..." Harry still couldn't comprehend the situation.

"What do you mean you're not sure?"

"Well he said he's surprised I'm here, and then he threatened me then called me nothing."

"Hah!" laughed Malfoy, and Harry wanted to know what's so funny about it, "Classic Snape. Straight to the point."

"You seem to know him well."

"Well, of course, I know him well. He is my godfather."

Harry was once again at a loss of words. Their head of the House was... He was Malfoy's...

"Stop being so surprised, and come, we have a free afternoon. Let's do something." his peers started to walk away, with Malfoy in the front talking about why Snape is the best when Harry spotted Ron talking to Seamus.

"Hey," he approached them. Both boys looked at him, Seamus with narrowed eyes and Ron with an upset expression.

"I just came to say that I will have tea with Hagrid at three, and if you want you could join us."

"Are we even allowed to go there? His hut is next to the forest."

"Erm, he invited me this morning so I guess."

"Or it's just a trap to take more points from us, and that's why you stayed behind with Snape!" spat Seamus.

"What? No, I wouldn't do anything like that!"

"And we should just trust you?" asked Ron.

Harry thought after their morning meetup they could maintain a friendship, but only a couple of hours later the redhead and his friend accused him of lying, dissolving any hope he had.

Ron didn't trust him. He didn't trust him, because he was believed to be a deceiving, vile person, so Harry turned on his heels and left.

🐍🐍🐍

When Harry knocked on Hagrid's door, several booming barks could be heard.

"Back, Fang! Back!" opened Hagrid the door while holding onto the dog's collar. "Come in, make yerself at home."

The moment he let go of Fang's collar, the dog leaped at Harry - and started to lick his face.

"Fang, come on!" he groaned.

"Cute, lil pup, is he?" chuckled the giant.

"Yeah, sure." It surely was friendly, but the last thing the huge dog reminded him of was little.

"Come sit," he poured some tea for Harry, "and tell me about yer week."

He talked about how happy he was for catching on so quickly, how much he enjoyed the lessons - except History of Magic, which is torture - and how well he got along with his housemates.

"Theo can be super grumpy in the morning, but after breakfast, he becomes more active," he took a sip of his tea, "Blaise can be really blunt sometimes, and I'm not sure if I like or hate that. Tracey is nice to talk to, she's kind but she's a very private person, I don't know much of her..."

"I've seen you a lot with the blond kid, Malfoy, and his friends," commented Hagrid.

"Others said it's best if we stick together, and well I just happened to be with them most of the time," he explained.

The light conversation made him feel less tense, but he knew he had to rip the band-aid off, so he asked, "Hagrid, is it bad that I'm a Slytherin?" which caused the man to stop in his tracks.

"I'm gonna be 'onest with you Harry. I was surprised, but who wouldn't be? I and a lot of others had many bad experiences with Slytherin's, but it doesn't mean that all of them are bad. I know what I said at Diagon Alley, and forgive me for that. People often judge me before they get to truly know me, and I did the same thing with your House." he sighed, looking disappointed in himself. "But I know you, and I know that you are a good boy with good intentions, and if that's where you belong, and where you can be happy, then it's completely fine. Just don't let others influence you badly, okay?"

"I would never," he said. "And I can see why you don't like Slytherin. At first, I didn't understand why did I got placed there... and I still don't. The hat said, that I have the heart of a Gryffindor, but I have potential in Slytherin." Hagrid hummed in response. "Some of the students live up to the bad reputation, "he remembers when he heard a fifth-year girl planning to blackmail a Hufflepuff to do her homework the whole year," but there are actually kind ones. Gemma is a prefect, and she helps a lot, and always makes sure we have everything we need... but Snape completely fits the stereotypical Slytherin." he then told about his encounter with him.

"Oh, don't take it personally, he hardly likes any student!"

"But he seemed to really hate me." groaned Harry.

"Rubbish!" replied the man, but he didn't meet Harry's eyes.

As Harry walked back to the castle for dinner - his pockets full of Hagrid's cakes that were more like rocks, but he didn't want to hurt the man's feelings - he thought about his week, and what's about to come.

And as he sat down at the table - Snape's glare burning a hole in his back - he agreed to play gobstones with Millicent during the weekend, write their homework together with Blaise, and to have a picnic altogether on Sunday on the castle grounds. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there! Thanks for reading. ❤️
> 
> In this chapter I planned to show that Ron how easily could change his opinion on Harry. I'm not bashing him, but even in the books he turned against Harry a couple of times out of jealousy (like in Goblet of Fire), and their relationship is very fragile.  
> I also made Hagrid and apologise and show that he is disappointed in himself, because since he is half-giant he often gets prejudiced, and he doesn't want to do the same with others. I like Hagrid, but he is know to be controlled by his emotions, that's why he speaks first and thinks later.  
> Snape will still hate Harry but he will avoid taking points from him because he is a Slytherin. He threathens Harry to not be like his father, because then he would have to interact with him regularly. I will eventually make him a more decent person, because even though in the end he ended up being good, I'm still mad at him for bullying innocent kids like Neville, and taking out all his anger on Harry for being rejected by his mother and choosing his "enemy" instead. This is my personal opinion, I don't want to insult anyone with it, so if you like Snape I respect that.
> 
> If you liked the chapter, leave a kudo and comment you thoughts.


	5. Time to show our superiority

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The snakelets have a picnic, Harry finds out more about the wizarding world, then awakes at night to the sound of sniffling.

"I asked Snape, he allowed us to have lunch on the grounds, and not only that, he will make sure we got a house-elf with us." smiled Malfoy smugly.

"House elf?" asked Harry.

"I keep forgetting you lived with muggles, not knowing about these sounds awful." sighed Blaise, "House-elves are elves that are servants. They cook, clean, and do anything you order them to. They also work for free," he explained.

"That sounds... wrong." they sounded more like slaves, rather than servants.

"Oh no, it's their life goal to serve until they die," he tried assuring Harry, not succeeding at it. "They think it's an honor. Most pureblood and wealthy families have them, they are handy creatures." 

"But if you've got magic, why don't you just use that to clean and cook?" he asked dumbfounded.

"Cleaning could be done with it, yeah, but cooking can't be fully done with magic. Even if you use certain spells to help and fasten it, you can't just make meals out of nothing. And also, house-elves have magic too. They are just a lower life form." Blaise said bluntly.

If these elves could do magic and were capable, intelligent creatures, why did they only work as slaves? Surely, there were other jobs they could have done. But Blaise said it's their life goal? Harry himself had to do the chores at the Dursleys, and he wouldn't want to do that for the rest of his life and view it as the biggest honor in the world.

"Come on boys!" yelled Pansy, "It's time to show others we are better than them!"

🐍🐍🐍

The weather was sunny and warm, sometimes a light breeze running through their hair, and they were sitting near the lake, on many soft, dark green blankets with weaved silver patterns in it. In addition, they also sat on green velvet pillows - because Malfoy and Pansy claimed they were too superior to sit on the ground - and they had a low-rise round table in the middle.

On top of it were many dishes, from roasted duck and smoked salmon to rice pudding and cakes, all served by their assigned house-elf, Solly.

She was around two feet tall, had spindly limbs, and a head so big Harry wasn't sure how her neck could support it. Her round, watery blue eyes constantly shifted around the table, and her bat-like ears kept twitching at the smallest sound - she was alarmed. She didn't look exactly terrified of them, more afraid of the possibility of disappointing them.

"Solly!" said Malfoy.

"Yes, sir?" asked the elf in her high-pitched voice.

"Get us some butterbeer!" he ordered. The elf only nodded, then with a small pop disappeared.

"Woah!" exclaimed Harry, "How did she do that?"

"It's called apparition," spoke Theo while chewing on his food.

"Ew, Theo!" screamed Pansy, "Have you no manners?"

"Shut it, Pansy," Tracey shot a glare at her, "It's not like you're so well-behaved either. You keep rummaging through our stuff like it's yours!"

"I was just curious, okay? Don't get your knickers in a twist!" she huffed in response.

"Wait, guys, let's go back a little," interrupted them Harry, "so what's exactly apparition?"

"You think about a place and you just pop there," said Malfoy in a bored tone, "It's nothing extraordinary, we can do it too, we're just not allowed to until we're seventeen."

Then another pop could be heard, and Solly appeared again with those so-called butterbeers.

"Took you long enough," snapped the blond.

"Hey! At least she did it, and it was like what? Two minutes at max?" Harry shook his head. Why does Malfoy have to be so rude? He was sure the git never did any chores or any work at all in his life. "Thank you, Solly," he turned to the elf with a smile.

"My pleasure!" she exclaimed.

The drink was warm, which Harry didn't really favour on such a sunny day, but incredibly delicious. It was sweet and unique, he couldn't compare it to anything he ever tried before. As he quickly chugged half the mug, he also started to become more relaxed and a little bit sleepy.

It seemingly had the same effect on the others too - they all had calm, satisfied expressions. The atmosphere turned tranquil and dream-like until a certain blond decided to disturb it with his dramatic behaviour.

"Ahhh," he groaned, "flying lessons will start next week!"

"And? I thought you liked them, that's all you ever talk about," mumbled Blaise and Harry had to agree with him. Nearly every day the blond loved to remind them how good he is at flying, and what a wonderful Quidditch player he is.

"Yes, I do enjoy flying, but the classes! We will have joined lessons," he paused dramatically, "with the Gryffindors." he hissed. Others face turned disgusted at the statement, but Harry didn't understand what was wrong with that.

"So, what?"

"So, what!?" cried Pansy, "we will have to endure their annoying arses, that's what!" she said, which caused the others to nod in agreement.

"I don't get it."

"Potter, you might be friends or whatever with the Weasel," Malfoy mocked, "but Gryffindors and Slytherins are enemies. That's how things work."

"But why?" what reason was there for them to be enemies with others?

"They are entitled idiots who think yelling and doing dumb things means being brave," huffed Blaise, "there are also a bunch of muggle-borns with them, like the Granger girl who acts like she's better than us."

Yes, Hermione was a know-it-all, and sometimes her eagerness towards learning was outright obsessive, and she loved to correct others, but Harry didn't think she was terrible. She had good intentions, and during Potions, he heard her help other students, which prevented even more catastrophe than what already happened. Overall, Harry found her okay, sometimes even entertaining.

"I think she's just overenthusiastic," everyone's attention snapped in his direction, "She comes from a muggle family, and this new world is very exciting and there's just so much to explore. I'm in the same situation, and even if I don't act like her, I can totally understand her."

The others just stared at him like he had two heads, and Harry didn't know if he said anything bad.

"Potter," started Malfoy slowly, "You have to understand a few things. She's a muggle-born, a _mudblood"_ he spat, leaving Harry wondering the meaning behind mudblood, "and yeah, I'm sure this is a much better place than her dirty muggle world, but she has no right to act like this. Correcting others, purebloods like she could know anything better than us? Unacceptable!" he shrieked, causing Harry to jump in his seat.

"Well, so far she was the only one to know every answer to every question, so I would say she know more than us." Harry blinked. And oh boy, this was the wrong answer once again.

"Yeah, cause she's constantly buried in her books! Not because she's better!" whined Pansy.

"Listen," started Theo, "We come from _pure_ , wizarding families. We are being raised with the knowledge, that our pure magic is superior to someone like hers. Yes, she knows a few things, but any idiot could learn from some books," he paused then looked at Vince and Greg, "Well, almost anyone could do that. She has some magic, but I can bet on it, that we are more powerful." he said with a serious voice.

"We know things she could only dream of," Malfoy smirked. "Spells, which are not even taught at Hogwarts..."

"What kind of spells?" asked Harry, with an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

"Oh, you know, this and that." smiled Pansy, "Eventually you could learn them too, in the privacy of our dorms of course."

"Erm... okay," he mumbled, still puzzled by this whole conversation. Why did they have to talk so weirdly? Sometimes they are so blunt, ignorant of others and their feelings, and then they start sharing some fascinating information, just to suddenly clam up. "I still don't get why you guys think so badly of Gryffindors though. I've never even seen you trying to talk to one of them."

"That's because we don't want to. They are all the same, we don't have to act friendly with them," murmured Theo.

"Well, that's just stupid. You never even talked with them, and decided they all suck?" Harry asked incredulously.

"It's not like they want to be friends either," Millicent shrugged her shoulders, "They don't approach us, so why would we do that?"

"Well, someone has to spark up a conversation, why shouldn't it be us?" at his question, Malfoy just sighed, then drank the remainder of his butterbeer.

"Stubborn, or you?" he asked after wiping his mouth with his napkin, "Whatever, sooner or later you will understand our views," Harry doubted that. "Now let's talk about another issue! Why can't first years play Quidditch?"

"Yeah, we would love to be Beaters!" said suddenly Vince, Greg nodding intensively next to him.

"I guess they think we can't fly that well," Tracey said quietly.

"That's stupid! I bet I can fly as good as seventh-years!" cried the blond.

"Speak for yourself," whispered Harry, "I've never ridden a broom before."

"It's okay, have no fear! I will generously give you all my tips, tricks, and valuable knowledge," Malfoy said with a grin, which was the first form of a smile Harry saw on him that wasn't smug or ill-intended.

"Of course, you will," chuckled Blaise, "You would love to ride a broom together with Harry, wouldn't you Draco?"

"What's that supposed to mean!?" the blond cried with a pink tinge on his cheeks.

"Simply that you're obsessed with him," rolled his eyes Theo, "You're with him all the time, breathing down his neck and acting as you own him."

"We go together because we have to stay together! That's what the prefects said!" he tried reasoning.

"You even sit together in Potions, I bet you asked Snape to have Harry as your partner for the whole year," teased Blaise.

Meanwhile, Harry just sat still, his face hot and surely as red as a tomato, hoping they would stop with their teasing soon because it not only affected Malfoy but also him.

"You are just idiots," growled the blond. "What's so bad with being friends with him? We're dormmates, we live together, eat together, learn together..."

"Kiss each other..." snickered Blaise, and the whole table erupted in laughter. After a moment, Harry joined them, enjoying the friendly bickering, knowing none of them intended to offend them.

And that's how their lunch ended, with Malfoy chasing Blaise and swearing to kill him in his sleep, while the others started betting on the winner. In the end, Tracey turned out to win everything, who betted on both of them losing, when Malfoy caught up to Blaise and pounced him, causing both boys to fell into the lake.

🐍🐍🐍

Harry awoke in the night to the sound of sniffling. Confused, he slowly sat up and opened his curtains. He heard the sniffling sound once again, from the bed next to his - Malfoy's bed.

_Is he crying?_

He stood up and approached it. He reached toward the curtains, but before he could pull them open he stopped himself. Should he even check on the other? Or just let him deal with whatever was going on alone?

No, he shouldn't do that. Not only it's wrong to ignore someone who's most likely crying, he also wanted to make sure his peer would be fine. He didn't know if it was because he felt it was his duty, or because of all the time they spent together, or because he himself never had someone to comfort him when he needed it - which was a lot throughout his childhood.

A hiccup could be heard, and Harry took a shaky breath in, then whispered, "Malfoy? Are you okay?"

The sniffling suddenly stopped, and nothing could be heard for a while. Harry started to think, that maybe he was wrong, and the blond wasn't even awake, he might have been just lightly snoring in his sleep and he misheard it, when the boy replied, "Yes, I am." his voice hoarse.

"Erm... okay," Harry blinked. What was he supposed to do now? Press him further, and make sure he is truly okay? Or just leave him alone? That would probably be for the best. "Goodnight then."

He went back to his bed, and just as he was ready to draw his curtains in, the blond's snapped open.

"Are you kidding me?" he whined. Harry squinted, but couldn't see anything other than the boy's form in the dark.

"What?" he blinked.

"You ask once if I'm doing okay, I hardly say yes, so you just leave me here?" he whisper shouted.

"What was I supposed to? You said you were okay, so I left you to yourself!" Harry replied.

"Yes, but are you really that dumb? You knew I was not okay, I'm still not okay! You should have asked me once more then tell me it's okay if I'm not fine, but tomorrow it will be different because I'm strong and wonderful..." he sniffed once more, then retracted to his bed.

Once again, Harry couldn't comprehend the situation. But, with a sigh, he complied with the other boy's wishes, walked to him, and asked, "Can I come in?"

"No," huffed the blond.

"Okay," Harry said, then opened the git's curtains and climbed next to him.

"Ow!" whined Malfoy. "You've just broke my leg!"

"Sorry, it's dark in here," but he wasn't sorry.

"Lumos," whispered the blond and the tip of his wand started illuminating.

"Woah," breathed Harry. "That's cool."

"It's just a simple spell. And, hey! I just told you that you can't come here!"

Harry looked at the blond. His eyes were puffy and red, his lashes wet and cheeks rosy and tear-stained. Yep, he definitely cried.

"You gave me very mixed signals, so let's just get over with it. Do you want to talk about what's wrong?"

Malfoy just looked at him, lips pursed together, but Harry could read no emotion on his face.

"It's not a big deal," he finally answered, "and it's not something you can go around to tell anyone, or I will make sure..." he sneered, and Harry just rolled his eyes.

"Oh no, now my plans for tomorrow are ruined," he deadpanned.

"Very funny Potter," he huffed.

"So, since I'm so hilarious will you finally tell me what's bothering you?"

"It's nothing... It's just, it's just don't you miss your home a bit?" he asked, nervously biting his lip.

"No," was his response, and the blond averted his gaze, "But it's because I've never got along with my aunt and family. It's better here for me, here I can... be myself."

"Oh," understanding dawned in Malfoy's eyes.

"Do you miss your home?"

"Well, yeah. I'm not used to sharing a room with a bunch of people and I've never really been away from my parents."

"I guess it must be weird for you then. But it's okay. Because you're strong and wonderful..." he started which had the other groan.

"That was a stupid thing for me to say," he mumbled. "My mom usually says that to me, so that's why I..."

"Yeah, I get it." Harry didn't get it. He never had a mother or a parent figure in his life. Sure, he saw how aunt Petunia looked at Dudley, and how she acted around him, but he didn't know how would it feel he would get that kind of attention. He didn't know the feel of a mother tucking you in at night, making you your favourite breakfast at your birthday, taking care of you when you are sick. No one ever showed up at mother's day for him, even though he always made a little present for Petunia.

"You can leave now," interrupted his thoughts the blond's grumble.

"Are you really fine now?"

"Of course I am, I'm always fine. Malfoy's are well-respected individuals, who others constantly envy because of their perfection."

"I take it as a yes. Good night then." he started to climb out of the bed when Malfoy grabbed his wrist.

"Seriously, Potter, one word about this incident and..." he hissed with narrowed eyes, and Harry started to see the similarities between the boy and Snape.

"You will make sure I won't be able to repeat it, I know. But don't worry, I promise not to tell anyone." he looked into those grey eyes, looking as sincere as possible, then the blond nodded.

"Glad we're on the same page. And Harry... thank you," he said, then pushed the boy out of his bed.

He could hardly maintain his balance, and when he could finally stabilise himself, he looked over his shoulder angrily, but the blond already closed his curtains so he just sighed.

Draco Malfoy was a strange phenomenon, one he couldn't compare to anything he ever knew, but who was he to judge, when he was just as odd?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, thank for reading! ❤️  
> In this chapter I wanted the snakelets to have some fun, and Harry to ask logical questions, like why would they need servants if they can do everything with magic, or hate the Gryffindors even though they never talked to them. The answer is simple: that's what they were taught. And why would an 11 year old question anything their lovely parents told them?
> 
> I think Draco is a very complicated character, since there are many expectations for him, and he has to grow up fast, but he is still young and just wants to have fun with his friends. So far he only had friends that his family approved of (like Theo, Vince, Greg...) and he views Harry as a beneficial connection, but also finds him likeable, and the others or aware of this and tease him about it. He is very close with his mother, and very dependant on his parents, so he is a little afraid of being so far away from them and not being able to talk to them as soon as he wants.
> 
> And since Snape is his godfather, he definitely has some priviliges, and he is also similar to him characteristically because he looks up to him.
> 
> I hope you liked, if yes leave some kudos and a comment if you want to. ❤️


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